Cap for snap fasteners



June 25, 1946. O, J, HUELSTER 4 2,402,628

CAP FOR SNAP FASTENERS Filed Marchv l, 1944 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented June 25, 1946 CAP FOR SNAP FASTENERS Otto J. Huelster,v Waterbury, Conn., assigner to Soovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Comb-a corporation of Connecticut Application March l, 1944, Serial No.r 524,826

(Cl. 2li-216i '7' Claims.

This invention4 relates to snap f-astener installatiousY of thegeneral typeemploying sockets having yieldable portions tor .the reception of conventional .stud-like .elements in coupling and un- I coupling the separate parts of the fastener.. More particularly, the invention relates to the construction of the socketmember of fasteners of the kind under consideration and, still more particularly, to the construction of the cap of such socket members.' The novel features of the invention Will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with Athe accompanying drawingin whichcertain embodiments of the invention are dsclosed,.andin which the separate parts are designated by suitable ref-y erence characters in each of the views and in which.:

1 is va, plan view showing the cap side of .a socket member as attached to a. support.

Fig. '2 is a section on the .line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 2 showing the cap in detached position with. the prongs of the cap inthe position assumedthereby, prior to the coupling with the socket part, as illustrated ,in Fig. 2.

The socket member, as disclosed in this ap` plication, forms a continuation-in-part oi the socket member, as disclosed in a prior application filed by me February 8, 1944 and bearing Serial Number 521,741. In the present application, I employ a cap for socket members of fasteners, of

the kind under consideration employing a plu-y rality .of circumferentially spaced claw-like jaw` members at the periphery thereof adapted to vengage and become slightly embedded in a support at circumferentially spaced intervals in firmly gripping or positioning the socket member on the support and in retaining the same against shifting or rotary'movement in the support. Further, the jaw members are cutout to form the coupling prongs for securing the cap part to the socket part and to the intervening support.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I have shown at I part of a support of .any type or kind and usually composed of iiexible fabric. In other words, `it vmay constitute a part of a garment `or other article of appa-rel.` At I I is shown a socket member which is composed of a socket part `I2 and cap part I3. The part I2 is substantially of the same construction, as disclosed in the application hereinbefore referred to, and comprises a ringlike body terminating in an inturned circumferential hook-shaped ilange I4, the bore of the socket part I2 having a plurality of circumferentiallgy .spaced spring arms I5 terminating .at their inner ends in offset flange portions I6 adapted to engage the conventional stud part of a fastener, as is well known in this art. The stud is not shown, as it forms no part of the presen-t invention.

The cap part I3 comprises a central outwardly domed part Il, at the periphery of which is a plurality of ciroumferentially spaced claw like jaw members I8, outer edges I9 of which being rounded, as clearly seen in Fig, l of the drawing. The jaw members I8, including the intervening wall portions 20, are offset with respect to .the dome portion II, as seen at 2 I, note F/jig. 2 of the drawing. This offset forms a corresponding projection 22 on the inner surface of the cap.

The jaw portions IB are separated and par tiallyformed by rounded circumferential recesses 23, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing.

The jaw portions I8 are cutout centrally and longitudinally, as Aseen at 24, and `these cutoutsvor apertures .are formed by stamping a plurality of corresponding spaced prongs 25, which normally project from the lower `surface. of the cap I3 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. However, in assembling the parts I?. and I3, the prongs 25 pierce the support III and are curved outwardly .into the inturned flange l5 of the socketpart I2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The jaw members I8, including the wall portions 20., vare curved substantially ,similar to the curvature of the dome I1 and this disposes the outer ends of the jaws I8 in overlapped relationship with respect to the socket part I2, thus embedding the jaws in the support, as seen at 26, at the left of Fig, 2 of the drawing. On the other hand,.the support i@ will extend upwardly through the recesses 23 intermediate the jaws I8, as seen at 21, at the right of Fig. 2 of the drawing. This forms a more or less hill and dale contour of the support along` the periphery .ofr the cap which securely keys the cap against rotation on the support, thus retaining the` entire socket member against shifting and preventing any possible displacement or separation of the socket member from the sup port. .It will also he understood that partl of the support will be extended into, the apertures 24, as illustrated, at 2.8, at the left of 2, `and this will also assist in the above operation. Furthe`rmore, this structure maintains the socket member more completely in the environment of the support, presenting the thinest possible wall structure for free passage of the socket member throughlaundering devices or apparatus of vari- `ous types and kinds. .'Ihe claw-like jaw memdependent ilexure or engagement of the jaw members with the support. In other words, in the event that the cap of the socket member is subjected to stresses or strains at the periphery thereof, these stresses or strains will be localizedr on the independent jaw members and not transmitted, to any degree, to other associate jaw members.

The separate parts of the socket member will be wholly composed of sheet metal or of plastic materials. i On the other hand, one part may be composed of metal and the other part of plastic material. When plastic material is employed in the cap part, with some supports, it may be necessary to pre-pierce the support for entrance of the prongs. Further, with some plastic materials, it may be necessary to pre-heat the prongs before the bending or flexing operation and, after cooling, the prongs will retain their flexed or bent positions.

It will also appear that a rm engagement is established with the support l between the inwardly extending projections 22 and the outer rounded edges 29 of the socket part l2. Further,

in compression of the parts I2 and I3 onto the support, the part of the support beneath the dome I1 will be extended slightly into the central Dortion of the socket, as seen at 30 in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

It will be apparent, from a consideration of Fig. 1 of the drawing, that the jaw members or claws represent the greatest radial dimension of the marginal portion of the cap and centrally of the spaced jaw members, the marginal portion of the cap has the least radial dimension. Furthermore, it will appear that the jaw members or claws may be said to be formed from wall portions which extend outwardly from the center portion of the cap and converge at their ends in forming the peripheral ends of the jaws. Another method of expressing this structure would be to say that the jaw members join the center portion in diverging wall members. The wall members referred to in both instances are united at the periphery of the center portion in the marginal flanges.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cap for a snap fastener, said cap having an imperforate center portion and circumferentially spaced radial claws extending from the periphery of the center portion, said claws being offset with respect to the plane of the center portion, and said cap having circumferentially spaced mounting members projecting angularly from the lower surface of the cap.

2. A cap for a snap fastener, said cap having an lmperforate center portion and circumferentially spaced radial claws extending from the periphery of the center portion, said claws being offset with respect to the plane of the center portion, said cap having circumferentially spaced mounting members projecting angularly from the lower surface of the cap, and said claws joining the center portion in diverging side members.

3. A cap for a snap fastener, said cap having an imperforate center portion and circumferentially spaced radial claws extending from the periphery of the center portion, said claws being offset with respect to the plane of the center portion, said cap having circumferentially spaced mounting members projecting angularly from the lower surface of the cap, said claws joining the center portion in diverging side members, and said side members being curved longitudinally l 4. A cap for a snap fastener, said cap having an imperforate center portion and a surrounding marginal portion, said marginal portion having circumferentially spaced apertures extending radially from the center portion, the marginal portion being of greatest radial dimensions in alinement with said apertures to form, of the marginal portion and at the outer ends of said apertures, tonglike members, and means on said cap projecting angularly from the lower surface thereof for securing the cap to a support.

5. A cap for a snap fastener, said cap having an imperforate center portion and a surrounding marginal portion, said marginal portion having circumferentially spaced apertures extending radially from the center portion, the marginal portion being of greatest radial dimensions in alinement with said apertures to form, of the marginal portion and at the outer ends of said apertures, tonglike members, means on said cap projecting angularly from the lower surface thereof for securing the cap to a support, and said lastnamed means comprising members arranged in radial alinement with said apertures.

6. A cap for a snap fastener, said cap having an imperforate center portion and a surrounding marginal portion, said marginal portion having circumferentially spaced apertures extending radially from the center portion, the marginal portion being of greatest radial dimensions in alinement with said apertures to form, of the marginal portion and at the outer ends of said apertures, tonglike membersmeans on said cap projecting angularly from the lower surface thereof for securing the cap to a support, and said marginal portion being curved inwardly.

'7. A cap for a snap fastener, said cap having an imperforate center portion and a surrounding marginal portion, said marginal portion having circumferentially spaced apertures extending radially from the center portion, the marginal portion being of greatest radial dimensions in alinement with said apertures to form, of the marginal portion and at the outer ends of said apertures, tonglike members, means on said cap projecting angularly from the lower surface thereof forv securing the cap to.a support, and the marginal portion having the least radial dimension at circumferential points centrally between spaced tong members.

OTTO J. HUELSTER. 

